Peace boosts hospitality industry in Karamoja

Two decades ago, Karamoja Sub-region was considered one of the most hostile places in Uganda.

With insecurity rife, fuelled by illegal possession of guns and rampant cattle rustling, only a few dared to travel to the sub-region and these were mainly missionaries and traders from Bugisu and Teso.

Mr Peter Lokwang, the proprietor of Seven Ranges Hotel Limited in Moroto District,  says: “Karamoja would have been very far in terms of development if it was peaceful back then given the fact that it is rich with minerals.”

Mr Lokwang says: “Insecurity in Karamoja was beyond everyone’s understanding and nobody could even generate any investment plans.” 

The way of life of the Karimojong, especially their dress code and the remoteness of the region also made many believe that the region was backward.

Whenever Karamoja was mentioned, many people dismissively retorted,  “We will never wait for Karamoja to develop” .

These challenges hindered development in the area. Tourism and hospitality were some the most affected sectors. 

Mr Ceasor Orup, the owner of Rapona Hotel says: “Before, whoever had plans to put up a hotel in Karamoja had to drop the idea because there was no way of getting building materials such as cement due to road ambushes by cattle rustlers.”

He says many people would have to first write their Will before embarking on any journey in and out of the region.

By 2006, Moroto, a major town in the region, only had 80 rooms for guests visiting the Sub-region and these were at Mt Moroto and Leslona hotels.

The town was home to many expatriates, who worked in the region and was the only part of the region privileged to have electricity, tap water and a semblance of civilisation.

The general manager of Mt Moroto Hotel, Mr George Kodet, says many people who went to work in Karamoja struggled to find accomodation. 

He adds that his hotel, the oldest in the region, had a few rooms and could not accommodate many guests.

Mr Ismail Mohamed, the mayor of Moroto Municipality, says: “In 2014, when the country held International Youth Day celebrations in Moroto, there was an accommodation crisis. Guests were sleeping in nearby school classrooms while others had to sleep in Katakwi, Soroti and Mbale and travel to the district on the day of the event.”

However, over the years, the picture has been changing and many modern accommodation facilities have since been constructed in the region. In Moroto Town, several hotels have been established.

These include Seven Ranges Hotel, Strickers Hotel, Hotel Leslona, Lavender Inn, Mt Moroto Hotel, Rapona Apartments, Obama Guest House, and Hotel Africana

These and others have so far created around 3,000 rooms in the municipality, which is preparing to receive city status by 2023.

Mr Alex Lemu Longora, a businessman and former mayor of Moroto Municipality, attributes the rapid development in Moroto Municipality to the recently established peace.

He, however, warns that there is need to deal with few criminals attempting to cause insecurity.

In 2002, government embarked on a disarmament exercise in a bid to rid Karamoja of illegal guns and create peace in the region to facilitate investment.

The exercise was conducted by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF)  3rd Division.
Moroto Development Forum President Simon Nangiro says the municipality is set to be the link between Karamoja and Ethiopia through Turkana.

“It took me time to progress with my personal investments because of insecurity. This was the challenge faced by many people in Karamoja but with the coming of peace, the region is fast moving,” Mr Nangiro says.

Government has also started holding some of the national commemorations in Moroto, which has stimulated further interest by many to construct hotels and other facilities in the town.

Mr Mohamed says previously someone would acquire a plot of land at Shs30,000 but with increased investment in the hotel sector, the value of land has since skyrocketed.

Samson Lokol, a retired civil servant, says the fast growing hotel sector in Moroto Town has already attracted many visitors including those from Turkana County in Kenya.

“Before the country was locked down due to Covid-19, this town would receive not less than 30 officials from Turkana County government crossing to spend their weekend in Moroto,” Lokol says.

Issue...Insecurity
Of late, there has been an increase in crime in the region. Early this month, hundreds of pastoralists in Kaabong District fled their homes citing increasing attacks from  armed Turkana, Jie and Matheniko cattle rustlers.

In February, hundreds of residents from three Sub-counties of Matany, Ngoleriet and Lotome in Napak District, held a peaceful demonstration against what they called continuous killings of residents and looting of their property by suspected armed warriors and accused security forces in the area of doing nothing.